Demographic Moderation in Online Public Service Adoption in Vietnam

Background and objective: This study explores how key demographic characteristics, such as gender, ethnicity, and place of residence, influence the behavioral mechanisms driving citizens' adoption of online public services in Vietnam. Methods: Based on the Technology Acceptance Model, the research examines whether these demographic factors moderate the structural relationships among perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitudes toward use, and behavioral intention. A large dataset was analyzed using PLS-SEM for the main TAM structure, and formal moderation tests were conducted in R to assess path-specific heterogeneity.Results: The findings reveal that demographic moderation is selective rather than uniform. Gender only moderates the relationship between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, with women being more sensitive to usability when forming usefulness judgments. Ethnicity shows a more complex pattern, enhancing the effect of ease of use on perceived usefulness but weakening the pathways from ease of use to attitude and from attitude to intention among minority respondents. Residence further differentiates behavioral mechanisms, with rural users experiencing a stronger effect of ease of use on attitude but a weaker effect of perceived usefulness on attitude. Conclusion: These findings underscore the need for targeted digital service design strategies, enhancing usability for women and rural residents, and providing tailored support for minority populations. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that demographic factors reshape specific behavioral pathways within TAM, advancing a more nuanced theoretical understanding of e-government adoption and offering actionable guidance for inclusive digital transformation.